D*ck of the Week

This is something we have done unofficially on a smaller scale for almost 10 years, but this year, with the financial crisis, we have been inundated on a whole 'nother level. 

So we launched ’Senior Solutions at Frankie and Andy’s Place' (https://www.frankieandandysplace.org/senior-solutions.html) in the spring in a bid to help anyone who needed advice and help and had no other resources.

Last week I received an email, and then had a couple of calls, from a lady who had asked if we could take her dog into Frankie and Andy's Place senior dog sanctuary. 

She claimed she had to give her up because she had 'started peeing everywhere' and her husband had said the dog had to go because dogs 'shouldn't do that'. 

The dog wasn't actually old enough for us at 7 years of age, and we do not take owner surrenders either. That rule was put in place purely to stop us from dealing with nasty people who want to give up their dogs when they get old, just BECAUSE they've gotten old and consequently do old dog things....seriously, we hate those people!

So I explained that this is not a fit for us, but that we were happy to help them with solving the bladder control issues. 

Of course my first thought was 'Ditch the Douche!', get rid of the husband, and remarry someone kinder. 

It beggars belief that someone will not take heed from how a person treats helpless animals when making life decisions for themselves...one day she will be old and may be wearing incontinence pants herself, what's she going to do when he wants to boot HER a$$ out the door for leaking a little?🤣

I explained that dogs who have been spayed too early or poorly,  or dogs who eat a crappy diet with low quality carbs or corn, or dogs who don't get enough exercise so have lax musculature, all of these can suffer from poor bladder control. I told her that thankfully there are easy fixes and they don't have to involve surgery.

Before I tell you what happened next, here is a little advice for you at home, in case you have a dog suffering with this, there are a few good solutions to try.

Swimming is a great way to encourage muscle build up in the back end, as it is a gentle, resistance form of exercise with the water taking the dog's weight. 

Massage stimulates blood flow and invigorates the muscles in the back end if done correctly by a certified canine massage therapist. 

Vetriscience 'Bladder strength' is an excellent product, available on Amazon, for dogs with lower level issues who are still at the 'occasional tinkle' stage. 

Nutrivet 'Bladder Control' is hands down, after 15 years, STILL the best bladder supplement I have ever used. I started using it with Simba, my Rhodesian Ridgeback, who had been put on Diethylstilbestrol (DES) because of her chronic leaking which was ruining every rug, bed and carpet in the house. Sadly, it also changed her behavior somewhat and made her tired and so I was looking for a more natural solution. 

I was stunned to find that this product CURED her condition completely; so much so that we were able to wean her down and eventually stop using it altogether for the last three years of her life. Miraculous!

Homeopet "No more leaks' is something that we have tried at Frankie and Andy's Place with fair success. It's cheap and easily available.

If you suspect that the urinary incontinence stems from kidney issues in your older dog, as is often the case, then ask your holistic veterinarian about whether Rehmannia 6 might help? Rehmannia 6 has been known for years to treat the symptoms of menopause in women (can I get a bucket of them over here, please?) but it is super helpful for dogs with kidney issues. 

Remember, kidney issues often don't show up in bloodwork until the problem is well advanced so always look at your dog's actual symptoms like hind-end weakness and back leg mobility issues, arched 'hunchy' back, incontinence etc., before accepting that it isn't a kidney problem just because your veterinarian says "the bloodwork looks ok". 

So...now that the incontinence advice has been given, let's get back to the lady with the 'awful' husband who wanted to dump her dog for peeing on the rug. How did she respond to my offer?

'Actually, we aren't interested in trying any of those things, we just want her gone. Can you take her or not? If you don't we'll just drop her at the shelter tomorrow.'

"Umm...I thought you said it was your husband who didn't want to keep her?"

"Yeah, well, the pee is annoying to me too. I'm sick of washing the floors and what if it takes a week for any of those things to work?"

Well, then you'd be lucky as sometimes they take a couple weeks or a month to fully work, it's not long to wait. And if you take her to the shelter, as an owner surrender she may be euthanized if they don't have space. Right now, with people giving their dogs up in droves and shelters being overcrowded, you can't risk that."

"Like I said, you taking her or not? I just want her gone."

So clearly she was throwing her husband under the bus when she herself was a nasty piece of work. Even if we had wanted to, we could not have taken that dog as we were full but dear God, I wanted to smack that woman so hard. 

And that is why she is my D*ck of the Week!